The Wiggles and their former CEO have struck a secret deal, after a nasty court drama.
Luke O’Neill launched legal action in the Federal Court against the iconic children’s group, Blue Wiggle Anthony Field, and the group’s general counsel, Matthew Salgo, in August.
O’Neill claimed he was denied bonuses and excluded from meetings before being dismissed with no reasonable basis.
He also alleged that Field had ‘undermined him’ in front of staff, and all allegations were denied by The Wiggles.
News Corp reported on Friday that the parties had reached a settlement, involving a confidential payout and a non-disclosure agreement.
O’Neill’s lawyers declined to comment when asked by the publication about the settlement, which was negotiated earlier this month
The Wiggles and their former CEO have struck a secret deal, after a nasty court drama. Pictured: Blue Wiggle Anthony Field
Court documents claimed that Field had questioned O’Neill’s competence and ‘undermined him’ in front of more than a dozen staff during a meeting in February.
O’Neill then complained to Luke Field, the blue Wiggle’s nephew and the group’s general manager, commercial, about his uncle’s behaviour in the meeting.
It came months after the chief executive complained about a different nephew being hired to work on the production of the upcoming album The Tree of Wisdom.
O’Neill also took issue with Field implementing a bonus scheme for a friend and his daughter’s boyfriend ‘without approval and in contrast with the usual employee bonus scheme,’ according to the documents.
It was also alleged that Field then took steps to reduce Mr O’Neill’s roles and responsibilities.
That included excluding him from meetings with department store Kmart about selling branded toys, and emailing all staff about an intention to remove a tour promoter, without prior consultation.
Court documents continue to allege O’Neill made several more complaints about staffing and other decisions allegedly made by Field without approval.
He said he eventually complained to the group’s director, Red Wiggle Simon Pryce, in April that the decisions were creating budget overruns, endangering his bonus.
Luke O’Neill (pictured) launched legal action in the Federal Court against the iconic children’s group, Blue Wiggle Anthony Field, and the group’s general counsel, Matthew Salgo in August
O’Neill claimed he was denied bonuses and excluded from meetings before being dismissed with no reasonable basis. He also alleged that Field had ‘undermined him’ in front of staff, and all allegations were denied by The Wiggles
Pryce allegedly agreed that his performance justified a raise after the three-decade-old group’s earnings increased from $2 million in the 2023 financial year to a forecast $6.5 million to $7 million in 2025.
But Mr O’Neill said he was dismissed in May.
He alleged the dismissal was unlawful and an adverse action for him exercising his workplace rights and came with no reasonable basis, prior warning, adverse feedback or performance management.
A bonus payment of more than $86,000, made in July, was less than what he alleges he was owed.
In a written defence filed in September, The Wiggles denied the allegations, stating that many of O’Neill’s claims were liable to be struck out, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
They said that O’Neill was sacked because his ‘overall performance was unsatisfactory’, and that he ‘failed to appreciate that the creative decisions remained with the shareholders’.
Regarding the claim that Field had ‘undermined’ O’Neill, the company said in their defence that the chief executive was advised by Field that he was ‘too involved in the creative development process’, which was at odds with the ‘commercial nature of his role’.
O’Neill began working for The Wiggles as a consultant in April 2023 before becoming chief executive in January 2024.
News Corp reported on Friday that the parties had reached a settlement involving a confidential pay-out and a non-disclosure agreement. Pictured: The original Wiggles line up (L-R) Anthony Field, Greg Page, Jeff Fatt and Murray Cook
In a written defence, filed in September, The Wiggles denied the allegations and said that many of O’Neil’s claims were liable to be struck out.
He was tasked with implementing strategies to grow the group’s revenue, maintain the budget and oversee hiring decisions.
Formed in 1991, The Wiggles are one of Australia’s highest-earning and most beloved entertainment groups, having won multiple ARIA awards and being inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2011.
Field is the last remaining member of the original line-up, which has expanded over time.
